Category Archives: health

Do you realize that your hip is the most used but most commonly neglected part of your body? Think about your everyday body movements. Even a slight pain in the hip can make you feel weak. Whether it is sitting upright, bearing weight, walking, running, playing, etc.

The discomfort may be felt in other associated muscles like:

Thigh

Inside or outside hip joint

Groin

Buttocks

Among older adults, osteoarthritis is the most common cause of hip pain. It involves a cycle of progressive cartilage loss and joint degeneration. This degenerative disease has no real “cure.” There are ways to slow its progression and prevent symptoms from worsening.

The hip joint is located between your thigh bone and pelvis. Problems affecting the hip joints become immediately noticeable to your chiropractor as it limits your motion during walking. Dysfunction of the hip is most commonly due to pelvic misalignment.

The thighbone (femur) and socket (acetabulum) arrangement make the body’s largest fits together in such a way that allows fluid movement. Cushion cartilage help prevent friction and makes it a very durable part of the body. It does not let you ignore those slight discomforts. With use and ageing, it can wear down or be damaged.

Inward rotation of the femur is the most common partial dislocation of the hip. Even a minor misalignment in childhood can lead to various symptoms in adulthood. Over time malfunctions occur in the muscles, then the tendons, and finally the bursa.

The common symptoms are:Iliopsoas Muscle Spasm felt as a sharp inguinal (groin) pain. This pain can be misdiagnosed as ovarian cysts, intestinal cramps or constipation.

A Snapping MP with mild aching when climbing stairs. This is often due to stretched tendons improperly gliding over joint surfaces.

Trochanteric Bursitis – a diffuse and deep pain of the gluteal or muscles that produce shape of buttocks and thigh region, especially when sleeping. This is often misdiagnosed as “arthritis.”

Is your pelvis causing the hip pain? or is your hip problem is causing pelvic instability? Only your chiropractor can tell you about it. After performing a careful physical examination and evaluating your personal history, a chiropractor will devise a strategy with chiropractic adjustments, exercise therapy, posture advice, stretching and massage. Chiropractors will assess hip function as part of your health care. It had been found that over 80% osteoarthritis had been found helpful with chiropractic session.

Don’t forget, these problems can be well controlled with regular adjustments and at-home stretching.

Do you feel pain or tenderness in your jaw? Or have you suffered from aching pain in and around the ear? Difficulty in chewing or pain while eating food? Aching facial pain? Trouble opening your mouth? It is a good chance that it could be the origin of the problem in your TMJ junction.

Many times you seek help from a dentist when you feel discomfort in your jaws. There are chances that misalignment in your pelvis may cause pain in the jaws. Wondering why? The truth is quite interesting. If your pelvis is tilted- your shoulders will drop down on one side, and your head may sit crooked. There is a good chance that your jaw will give you grief usually in the form of locking, popping pain or night grinding. It is a good chance that it could be the origin of the problem in your TMJ junction. A Skilled dentist and chiropractor’s advice can be of great help in overcoming dysfunction.

The TMJ junction works like a hinge or ‘door function’ which allows your mouth to swing open and a ‘drawer’ to thrust forward. The unique shape of the jaw and the articular disc is similar to the spine, which is held by ligaments and cause movements such as those found in the jaw.

Some parts of the bone that interact in the joint are covered with cartilage. It is separated by a small shock-absorbing disk which usually keeps the movement smooth.

TMJ junction will be painful if:

A Disk erodes or moves out of its proper alignment

A Joint is damaged by a blow or other impact

A chiropractor can relieve tension in the surrounding muscles and reposition the jaw by using trigger point therapy. Your Chiropractor can re-establish normal function by addressing your spine to level the pelvis, shoulders and head. Then, if needed, realigning the TMJ with adjustments. Acupuncture and massage treatment can also be beneficial. Dental issues can be another source of jaw pain – for which we refer you to a dental specialist.

Chiropractic care not only alleviates your short-term pain, but it can also prevent your TMJ from returning in the future. Many times, Chiropractors will suggest at-home exercises to their patients to strengthen the jaw joint. Besides jaw-stretching exercises, reducing stress can help ward off TMJ. As you’re less likely to grind your teeth or bite your nails when you’re relaxed. A chiropractor can work with you to determine the best course of action to take to return you to a healthy state.

The wrist of the human body acts as an essential tool to carry out any skillful human activity. Majority of human activity requires the involvement of a wrist like writing, cooking. It seems a simple joint, but the origin of pain leading to the wrist can be a complicated diagnosis!

There are many painful sensations you can feel in your wrist like burning, soreness. You would be amazed to know; there are in all 8 carpal bones in the wrist!! Capitate, Hamate, Pisiform, Triquetrum, Lunate, Scaphoid, Trapezium, and Trapezoid. Even a single misalignment or repetitive injuries can put pressure on a median and ulnar nerves travelling to your hand causing intense pains

The most common and essential problem attached to wrist is:

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is the term given to pain, numbness or tingling in the wrist and hand. Compression of the carpal tunnel can stem from a variety of factors such as; fractures, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid disease or brachial plexus elbow and shoulder entrapment syndromes. One of the most common causes of unilateral carpal tunnel syndrome is an anterior subluxation of the lunate bone. When pain is felt in both wrists, it is more likely to be referred pain, not an exact carpal tunnel problem. For example, “Double Crush Syndrome” occurs when the radial nerve is pinched in both the wrist. At the level of the neck, shoulder or elbow. One study showed that wrist manipulation reduced the need for carpal tunnel surgery. It happens in almost 94% of the cases.

Often wrist problems can be traced to overuse patterns initiated in childhood. For example, a recent study has shown that school-aged children who play many hours of Nintendo often aggravate the intrinsic muscles of the thumb. Over time this repetitive sprain injury causes chronic muscle fatigue. Signs of “Nintendo Thumb” should be assessed by your child’s chiropractor. As early intervention can prevent future problems from developing.

Ganglion Cyst is a pea-sized swelling with a jellylike consistency found under the skin of the front or back of the wrist. This painless symptom of wrist dysfunction can develop in response to a subluxation – bone out of place. Putting stress on a tendon, causing localized swelling (the “pea”). Surgical removal, often medically recommended fails to address the underlying cause. A few chiropractic wrist adjustments are often all that is needed.

So, it becomes essential to know Is your neck causing the wrist pain? Or Is it a true wrist malfunction?

A chiropractor will use video motion x-ray to assess the neck for subluxations. It is a misalignment of the spinal vertebrate that could irritate nerves going to hand. Your chiropractor also does testing muscles of the shoulder and elbow. This is to adjust misalignment of a joint or any other part that could repair the pain of the wrist. They always look at a cause of illness and determine it as part of healthcare! Hence It is best to visit a chiropractor if you experience wrist problems.

Does your knee hurt while walking up or down the stairs? Is there a burning pain at the side of your knee, or a stabbing pain inside it? The majority of all knee pain is not the direct result of a problem in the knee joint itself. More commonly there is a biomechanical fault in the pelvis or foot. Biomechanical fault can even be present in the absence of pain or injury. Which will be helpful in preventing a problem before they happen. That fault is compensated for at the less stable knee joint, resulting in pain.

The knee includes quadriceps muscles. It also consists femur bone and tibia connected by articular cartilage and patella. An excellent example of this is Osgood Schlatter’s syndrome. It is a painful condition suffered by adolescents. The pain of lower kneecap ligament can be alleviated with knee and pelvic adjustments.

“Growing Pans” in adults or children are due to an abnormal arch in the foot. Which causes excessive rolling in of the ankle, and abnormal tension in the shin muscles. Orthotics stretches, and adjustments are all required to control this common problem.

One of the “true” knee problems is bursitis, or “Housemaid’s Knee.” Bursae become inflamed with repetitive kneeling when a knee joint misalignment is present. Bursitis can be treated without invasive surgery.

If you even have gout or pseudogout, you increase the risk of bursitis. Gout is build up a uric acid crystal. It gets collected causing joint swelling, inflammation, and pain in the joint.

Chiropractic for knee involves examination of ligaments, joints, posture, and gait. It is essential to determine, ‘Is your pelvis causing the knee problem’? Or is ‘A knee problem causing pelvic instability’? Only your chiropractor can tell you that after examining your health.

A Chiropractor will address the issues in and around the knee from the pain. It will also investigate if other alignment issues in other areas of the body are the real cause of the knee pain. For example, tightness in the lower back can place excessive strain on the knees which can be painful. With the right chiropractic care, issues such as these can be corrected so you can live pain-free.

A Chiropractor can help overcome knew pain without using drugs and surgery. If you see any symptoms, it’s time to see you, chiropractor, too!

While selecting proper footwear, be sure to select shoes that force an arch in the feet. The span helps you run and walk with ease. Having a flat foot makes trying to run very fast quite difficult. Conditions often develop during childhood, or when you have to stand for long periods of time. Excessive stress due to playing competitive and recreational activities often play a part. This state is called pronation of feet. 70 % of the western population suffer some type of pronation, low to high level of severity.

Pronation is a natural movement of the foot that occurs during foot landing while running or walking. Foot movement is the result of three cardinal plane components: subtalar, eversion, ankle dorsiflexion and forefoot abduction. These three distinct motions of the foot coincide during the pronation phase. Excessive pronation is the most common biomechanics issue and foot problem. When the arches of the foot fall, a multitude of compensations take place throughout the body. These include pelvic misalignments, knee rotation, corns, callouses, bunions and plantar fasciitis. If you are facing any one of them, it’s time to speak to your chiropractor!

1. Bunions: A calcium deposit on the toe joint which causes widening of the foot
2. Calluses: A painful condition where the skins start thickening.
3. Ankle Varus: A pain in the lower legs and ankles
4. Heel Pain: A pain suffered when you first stand.
5. Plantar Fascia: A pain in the arc area

Chiropractors assess foot to function as part of your overall health care. Often these problems can be well controlled with regular adjustments and orthotics. Healthy exercises build your core strength. If you feel you have a pronation issue, it’s time to see your chiropractor.

Wearing the right type of insoles and shoes plays a significant role. A correct fitting pair of shoes or sandals can improve the condition of your feet. Negligence or wearing stilettos, could cause long term damage to your feet. There are brands of shoes available suitable for various conditions. Ask your chiropractor about proper footwear the next time you are in.

Does it seem like your day is becoming difficult and you just cannot get through the day without having a pain in the elbow? Elbows are inherently stable joints. You can lift, swing, throw, hug and do almost everything with your hands due to this critical joint. Aren’t these normal activities in everyday life? Of course yes, and pain in the elbow while carrying out these activities, will irritate you for sure. It’s one of the most used parts of your body and hence no wonder, overuse can cause things to go wrong!

Elbow Joint is formed where three bones meet. The upper arm bone called humerus, ulna and radius which makes up your forearm. The cartilage at the end of each bone helps slide against each other and absorbs shock. And ligaments, which are tight tissues helps to keep all of them intact, due to which you can move your arm freely. If anything happens to any of these parts, it can cause pain, sometimes intense or sometimes shooting pains while you run your elbows.

Look out for below symptoms. That’s when you know, you need help and must visit your chiropractor before the condition worsens.

The elbow pain is negligible at first, but you notice its gradually increasing

Pain in elbow joint when squeezing any object or while pressing your fist.

Your grip is getting weaker

Pain is extending from the joint to the other parts of the neck or down towards the wrist.

An accurate diagnosis results in more appropriate treatment. Chiropractors assess elbow injuries by determining if the problem is a misalignment, tender sprain, muscle strain or a pinched nerve. Most elbow problems start in the neck, upper back, shoulders and occasionally in the wrist. This is the reason why chiropractors take an overview of the whole body rather than focus on the area of pain.

Most Elbow injuries heal two to six weeks. However, some may take a year. Elbows that are misaligned are more likely to be re-injured and develop arthritis. During the healing period rest, ice packs and bracing with elbow support can all be very beneficial.

Your Chiropractors can advise you the best strategy to manage your elbow injuries. Be aware once the pain goes the elbow is still vulnerable to reinjury for up to a year. Massage and Acupuncture in such cases have proven very beneficial.

Does your job call you to sit at a desk and work for hours at a stretch? Well, most of us spend hours each day glued to our computer screens either for work or play. But are you making sure that your posture is not being a culprit in a dreadful body pain? What we don’t realize in our day-to-day activities is that sitting or even standing incorrectly for long hours, could cause serious inflammation in muscles and give you body aches specially Relentless Shoulder Pain.

So why do we experience this pain and how does our body react? Read on to know more facts!

Relentless Shoulder Pain is made up of three parts:

Upper arm bone (humerus)

Shoulder blade (scapula) and

Collarbone (clavicle).

Do you know what helps your shoulder and other joints to rotate and move easily? It’s the fluid called ‘Bursitis’. They are fluid-filled sac that is located throughout the body which acts as a cushion over bones and soft tissues to reduce friction in the rotator cuff of the joints.

When you suffer from pain in the shoulder, it could be sometimes due to a condition called as ‘subacromial bursitis’. It is a type of inflammation which is usually the result of repetitive injury to the ‘bursa’ which can happen due to activities such hunching forward for long (remember your long work hours!), excessive ball throwing or other overhead activities or sport.

You need to look out for these signs mentioned below which indicates you need to visit your Chiropractor immediately to prevent further inflammation.

Pain in the front and side of the shoulder is the most common symptom and may cause weakness and stiffness

The onset of pain may be sudden or gradual

Night time pain, especially sleeping on the affected shoulder

Localized redness or swelling

Ignore could cause problems in ‘Tendinitis’ which is a chord that connects muscle to bone. Chronic tendinitis ones are caused due to degenerative diseases like arthritis or repetitive wear due to age.

A chiropractor may examine the cause of shoulder pain that can be tendon inflammation, instability, arthritis. A chiropractor will also be looking for some physical abnormalities like swelling, deformity or muscle weakness, and shoulder range of motion and strength.

The entire musculoskeletal of the body are linked. A chiropractor can treat your relentless shoulder pain comprising of treatment such as misalignment, rotator cuff pain, posture-related pain, pinched nerves. They shall assess the function and will help you with an effective chiropractic treatment for shoulder pain. And remember, shoulder pain often develops gradually than all at once. You definitely want to visit your chiropractor and take precautions right at the beginning.

What exactly are vertebral subluxations?

And why are so important?

Simply put, vertebral subluxations are the consequence of irregular movement of position of your spine’s bones.

Usually a response to stress, subluxations have a wide range of implications for your health, reaching far beyond the discomfort and/or pain you presently feel.

As the nerves in the region are affected, the ramifications of this can be very often unexpected and unforeseen, with serious implications for your health and lifestyle

The Physical factors

The causes of vertebral subluxation are manifold, and often combined so that in most cases the subluxation is a product of two or more factors, rather than having a single cause.

The single, most evident factor is of course that of undue physical force applied to the spine. This is frequently the case with subluxations caused by accidents. An automotive collision, a fall or a sports-related incident are some of the situations that come to mind immediately.

The same is true of repetitive activities that favor a side of the body. For example, consistently carrying loads in one hand, as a waiter would do, or using a hammer all day long without switching hands as in the case of a roofer or a carpenter could decompensate the body to the point of triggering a subluxation.

But the same can be said from other, more passive forms of physical stress, such as in the case of workers whose jobs keeps them in fixed positions for long periods of time: typists are a good example of these.

In this last category we have to consider things we all take for granted such as sitting and sleeping. If these are consistently performed with poor posture maintained over long periods of time, the risk is always there.

In some cases, we need to look no further that to the initial trauma the enormous pressures of normal childbirth can exert on a child’s body – or to the adventure of growing, learning how to walk and stand up – and in the process falling down over and over…

But, substantial as they are, physical causes are only a small part of the picture. The other two factors, chemical imbalances and emotional stress are while not as self evident more predominant.